I came late to jazz. When I was growing up, it was the music of my parents' generation. Rock music was erupting into our consciousness, and old people's music didn't seem worth looking into. Belatedly I realized how much awesome artistry, skill* and creativity were put into jazz. It now fascinates and inspires me; witness Atlantis Dances in which almost everything is solos and duos of rhythmic complexity over predictable meters.
Kind of Blue is the quintessential jazz record, the one you'd recommend to someone unsure whether they'll be interested. Ashley Kahn has written a book about its creation. He covers the histories and personalities of the musicians involved: Miles Davis, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, and pianists Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly. Knowing their stories helps me to listen to their performances with a bit more understanding. Kahn goes further. There's a history of Columbia's 30th Street Studio where the tracks were recorded (as well as a history of Columbia itself). There are transcripts from the original tapes, allowing us to overhear the conversations among musicians, producer and engineers. There are insights from a pantheon of musicians who encountered Davis or were influenced by him.
I'll quote Kahn's own introduction to the book:
Beyond the new information my research yielded ... I was equally drawn by the more mystical aspects of the album. The legend of its pure, one-take creation. The alchemic blending of classical and folk music influences. The interplay of Miles' less-is-more philosophy with the styles of the equally spare Bill Evans and his other, more voluble sidemen. The drama of Davis driven by an endless search for new styles creating a masterwork, then leaving it behind for his next endeavor.Kahn delivers all of this. One comes away astonished by the way the musicians delivered five world-class tracks in single takes — no splicing — in two afternoons, with no rehearsal, some of the music having been sketched on tiny scraps of paper on the day. One appreciates the wide range of influences that went into the music, Davis and Evans having had many conversations about Debussy, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Bartók and Stravinsky, in addition to their desire to simplify the underlying patterns in line with African music. I am immensely grateful to Kahn for having produced this very insightful book, very well written, which only makes me love the music more.
Recommended if you'd like an in-depth exploration of a masterpiece.
*
A jazz improviser needs more knowledge of music theory than does a classical performer,
who needs more than a rock musician, who needs more than a rapper.